The harder it is to do something, the harder it is to do it impulsively, so inconvenience helps us stick to good habits. There are six obvious ways to make an activity less convenient:
· Increase the amount of physical or mental energy required {leave the cell phone in another room, ban smoking inside or near a building}.
· Hide any cues {put the video game controller on a high shelf}.
· Delay it {read email only after 11:00 a.m.}.
· Engage in an incompatible activity {to avoid snacking, do a puzzle}.
· Raise the cost {one study showed that people at high risk for smoking were pleased by a rise in the cigarette tax; after London imposed a congestion charge to enter the center of the city, people's driving habits changed, with fewer cars on the road and more use of public transportation}.
· Block it altogether {give away the TV set}.
· Increase the amount of physical or mental energy required {leave the cell phone in another room, ban smoking inside or near a building}.
· Hide any cues {put the video game controller on a high shelf}.
· Delay it {read email only after 11:00 a.m.}.
· Engage in an incompatible activity {to avoid snacking, do a puzzle}.
· Raise the cost {one study showed that people at high risk for smoking were pleased by a rise in the cigarette tax; after London imposed a congestion charge to enter the center of the city, people's driving habits changed, with fewer cars on the road and more use of public transportation}.
· Block it altogether {give away the TV set}.
( Gretchen Rubin )
[ Better Than Before: Mastering ]
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